The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-01-22
THE EVIL OMEN.

~ nto hoppouoA esH"ih' ~ "''S N.N
kelner the Schwartzberg said, and the
servants repeated it; and that was
how they had the news at the "Gold'
en- Dragon" and all over the village
before night.
How it happened was a mystery,
but there was no denying it. If any
of the noble folks at the Schwartzberg
were going to die somethingin the cas-
tie was sure to fall with no human
hand near-no loophole for explaining
why the crash should come before the
death, and not at any other time. The
onion had begun again in these days,
after lapse OF a century. The old
kelner's father had kept the keys long
ago, had told strange tales about it.
He had only heard them in his youth,
but they were very strange tales, and
the Golden Dragon" and the village
In general decided that they were not
to be explained away. But it was
much more satisfactory when at the
present time the evil omen began to
show itself again. 1t was no grand
mothers story now, but q reality.
The gossip and excitement went on,
with shoulders and whispers; it was
so pleasant to have something to
shudder about. Why, if nobody had
died after the great stays head fell in
the hall the Golden Dragon" would
bavo been downright sorry.
But as it happened, the little boy
the old baron's grandson and heir
fell on the Black Mountain the very
day after and broke his neck. That
was only three months ago. And now
the great mirror in the tapestried
drawing room had fallen. 1t was GER
tainly the old baron that was to 60
off this time. The village waited
breathless to know.
Home went Fritz Hartmann with
the news Saturday night. He was in
worse humor than usual; that is
saying great deal for Fritz Hart
mann, for he was the blacklist man in
the village; and who he was or what
he was thinking OF was all mystery.
Flowers, father" said the little
bright haired child, wanting to be
noticed.
go to bed" said Hartmann, and
dropped the flowers and kicked them
away.
ANY news?' his buxom, good hui
mored wife asked. The blacklist mood
Fritz sould be in was never too black
to stop her smile; many a gathering
thunderstorm was laughed off by !
Martha.
why should there be news?" he
said savagey, flinging his coat aside |
and throwing himself on seat with |
his hat still on. Love in a cottage |
has many drawbacks, and the absence
OF manners is one OF them.
The brisk and buxom Martha |
popped the child into bed and began
to make Fritz's supper hot. There |
WHO nO ittT III HeI HuIuItt anu u
great deal of curiosity.
81 wanted to hear about the poor |
dear old baron" said Martha.
"He is dying, they say" growled |
Fritz.
"Ohl Poor old mani"
"Why?" said the husband. "He |
paid us for my bit OF carving. What
need we care?"
"Yes, we should care, my wicked old !
Fritz"-shaking him by the shoulder.
"lf q poor man died." said Fritz,
"they would shovel him into the
ground and forget him.. Why should
not the Itch die too? Hehas thegout;
it would be acomfort to the old fellow
TO die"
Martha had prayed that he might
not die for many year, govt or no
govt he mad been so good to her long
ago, when her parents died and she
was taken TO the castle to feed the
chickens and ducks in the yard.
Fritz did n bit of wook-carving as
we'll as his daily work. Tourists
bought his carving in summer; it was
bought at the castle too. He had car
ried his brackets and frames to the
Castle so often that he
was free of the servants hall any day,
and when he took the carved chair on
the baron had made him
bring it into the library with his own
hands. IL was ungrateful OF Fritz to
be glad that the poor old baron was
dying; but then Fritz was always
growing at the castle folks, and
at his own poverty.
After supper he went out to the